State

Bhatt seeks relaxation under Clinical Establishment Act for hospitals with upto 50 beds

Sunday, 01 May 2022 | PNS | Nainital

The Union minister of State for Defence and Tourism, Ajay Bhatt has written to the State’s Health minister Dhan Singh Rawat stating that the proposal for providing relief to hospitals with up to 50 beds under the Clinical Establishment Act should be tabled in the cabinet meeting. He said that the governments of the neighbouring State of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have agreed in principle to facilitate the said relaxation.

In his letter, Bhatt states that in the neighbouring States of Punjab and Haryana, the Clinical Establishment Act is applicable to hospitals with more than 50 beds. The governments of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have also agreed in principle to exempt hospitals with upto 50 beds. He wrote to the Health minister that following the talk the duo had on the telephone, Rawat had assured Indian Medical Association (IMA) office bearers in the past as the Health minister that the smaller hospitals in the State will be provided relaxation under the Clinical Establishment Act and that this proposal will be brought soon in the cabinet meeting. However, this could not be done at the time due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Vidhan Sabha elections. He expressed hope that the State government will soon take a decision on the measures possible, adding that all doctors are seeking a swift decision in the matter which is justifiable.

Bhatt recalled in the letter that while serving as the State president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he had met the then chief minister along with a delegation of the IMA. The issue had been resolved at that time, but unnecessary delay in implementation of the decision has caused some inconvenience to the IMA members, he added.

The Union minister of State pointed out that there is a lack of medical facilities and doctors in the remote areas of the State. In such a situation, the Clinical Establishment Act should be kept on hold in a small State like Uttarakhand. The stringent provisions in the Act will result in closure of small clinics and nursing homes in the mountain State which in turn will hamper the health services in the mountainous regions. Bhatt said that he had also raised this issue in the parliament and communicated the problem to the Union Health minister. The Union minister had told Bhatt that the State government is fully capable of taking a decision on this issue.

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